British Isles Cupcake Wars Competition

British Isles Cupcake Wars Competition

What better way to raise money for OSU Institute of Technology’s School of Arts & Science Study Abroad Scholarship than to exploit someone’s sweet tooth— and competitive nature?

The study abroad committee is hosting the British Isles Cupcake Wars Oct. 28 in The Center. The competition will pit the baking skills of students versus faculty and staff.

Competitors will bake a dozen cupcakes that incorporate a British Isles theme of ingredients. The entry fee is $15, and students, faculty and staff have until Oct. 17 to enter.

The contest aims to raise money for the OSUIT School of Arts & Sciences Study Abroad Scholarship for the 11-day trip in May 2017 to the British Isles that includes stops in Ireland, Wales and England. Faculty members Dr. Jennifer Smith and Jacqueline Anderson from the School of Arts & Sciences are leading the trip.

Anderson said she loved her study abroad experiences when she was in school.

Registration

Rules, location, and time to bring cupcakes, can be picked up at the time of registering.

“When I was 15, I went to Minsk, Belarus, and in college I went to Paris. It changed my life,” she said. “It changes your whole outlook on life seeing how people live, their traditions, cultures, and their open hearts toward Americans.”

Almost a year ago, a representative from EF College Study Tours came to the OSUIT campus to speak about study abroad opportunities.

“My insides were jumping for joy. I knew this would be an amazing opportunity for our students,” Anderson said. “Americans can take things for granted. Going abroad, you see cultures that were under oppression and got out of their oppression and now don’t take their freedoms for granted. It’s good to be reminded how lucky we are.”

Dr. Smith was also excited about the prospect, and a study abroad committee was formed. This spring, they started working on a scholarship fund for Arts & Sciences students.

“You become more involved and can relate to what is being said about overseas. You also gain a whole new appreciation for what it is like to do without abroad versus doing without in the United States,” Smith said.

The cupcake competition came about while Anderson was brainstorming fundraising ideas this spring.

“I really love to bake and watch Cupcake Wars on Food Network. I asked my students what they thought, and they got excited,” she said, , and she had a similar reaction when she brought it up at a faculty meeting. “They were stoked.”

The competition is open to all students, faculty and staff who want to show off their baking skills and be rewarded for incorporating British flavors into their cupcakes. Three judges, a mix of faculty and students, will judge the entries and award first, second and third place prizes.

First place prizes include a professional Kitchen Aid mixer; signed book by cake designer Kerry Vincent; wedding display demo from OSUIT’s Chef Grady Perryman; two edible glitters; fondant mat; and embroidered apron.

Third place prize is a one-year subscription to American Cake Decorator Magazine.

Anderson and Smith hope the cupcake competition also drums up interest in enrolling in the study abroad trip. Students have until Feb. 9, 2017, to sign up, but the sooner they enroll, the cheaper the price. Students who sign up through September will have a $200 discount.

“We’ll also have a scholarship night where students can come and fill out as many study abroad scholarships as they like in one night,” Anderson said.

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